Apparatus for feeding and cutting plastic material such as confectionery stock



Jan. 6, 1931. A. G. ROSE 1,788,329

APPARATUS FOR FEEDTANG AND CUTTTNG PLASTTC MATERIAL SUCH AS CONFECTTONERY STOCK Filed Apr l 7. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l 1,788,329 APPARATUS Fon PEEDING AND CUTTING PLASTIC MATERIAL y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. ROSE Filed April 7. 1930` SUCH AS GOHFECTIONERY STOCK Jan. 6, 1931.

Jan. 6, 1931. A. G. RosE 1,788,329

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND CUTTING PLASTIC MATERIAL SUCH AS CONFECTIONERY STOCK l Filed April 7, 1930 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Www 4 I I Jan. 6,- 1931. A. G. RosE v 1,788,329

APPARATUS R F ND CUTT L MATERIAL EEDING A ING P H AS CONFECTIONERY ST Filed April 7, 1930 Sheets-Sheet 4 APPARATUSFOR FEEDING AND CUTTING Patented Jan. 6, 1931 tf1-UNITED i STATES PATENT*OFFCE ALFRED GERMAN Rosa, F YGAINsnolsousn, ENGLAND, AssIcNoR' To Rosa BROTHERS (GANSBGROUGH) LEMITED, 0F GAINSBOIJGUG-I, GLAND, A BRTIS' COMPANY PLASTIC MATERIALSUGH As coNnncToNnRY STOQK- Y i Y' Appiic'ation siedlapi-ii 7,1930, semaine-. 442,425, and. in Great Britaiii'nprnio, 1929.

This invention comprisesiniprovements in or relating to apparatus/for feeding `and cutting plastic material such-for example as confectionery stock. y V The invention 'is particularly concerned with-although` n t limited to apparatus operating infcon'junction Y with a Wrapping machine of' the type in which `a plastic bar oft confectionery stock is ted tothe machine and successive portions inthe ,length ofthe bar are'severedto formindividual caramels or-the like each of which isjsubsequently "enclosed in al wrapper. For the purpose of -eedinnjand cuttingthe bar various mechanisms havel been employed. Usually the bar `is fed, one or more sets of rollers, along;

a horizontal path up to va cutting staticn'at which a knlevcperates either in a vertical another setmof rollers is arranged at thel end of the horizontal path aforesaid to turn' the ajrightjangle. n v y rIhe present" invention is directed towards providing animproved stock-,feeding andcutting apparatus in which abar ofstock expensive in'construct'ion andupkeep and is not liable to-'become clogged; This inventionf consists essentially in `improved apparatus for feeding and cutting` aber of plastic ma liquely to said guideway. three rollers tirterial (e. g. confectionery stock) #comprising the combination of a knife, meansto actuate said knife to sever successive pertions from the length of the 'barya guideway leading to the knife7 a second guideway leading obrangedat the junction of the ,quid-aways, two of which rollers are arranged toco-operanteI to bend the bar partly round the periphery of the third .roller and to direct it'r'fromthe obliqueinto the lirst mentionedipfriiidevvay,l

andV means to-rotate said rollers. 'i Thisarrangement of three rollers atthel junction of the guideways provides a simple andrei liable apparatus for turning the plastic bar through the included angle between the two 'guidewaysx In feeding mechanisms as .hith- -gerto proposed Athis Ahas been :eected ,zeither'q the casing. leading end of the bar downwardly threughynumerals indicate like parts.

Vby curved guide-plates vover which the bar `slides (and tor'whlch it 1s therefore, particularly in the case of toffee, 'liableto stick labor.`

'One construction according to this inven Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatusv with part of thecasing brokenl away.`

Figure 2 isa plan of theapparatus.

Figure '3 is an endelevation of the apparatus butv with the casing and all bearingsremoved," and 0r in al horizontal plane. In the latter case yllligure Lluisa diagrammatic arrangement illustrating certain gearingin the interior off Throughout `description like reference The apparatus `comprises Va casing 10 having` a downwardly inclined guideway 11 con- K stituting the aforesaid obl1que'way) 'along which a plastic bar of confectionery stock 12 is fedtov a plane lin which a ycontinuously rotating` knife 17 operates to sever. individual caramels from the leading;l end of the bar. The separate caramels-are'thenfed one at a time upto awrapper supplvstation (not shown and thence together with the wrapper into a wrapping machine.

The lplastic bar Vis feddown theinclinedf.g

andthe mechanism become cloggedlor by a lmore complicated arrangementof ,rollers which lis 'unsatisfactory when the device isv operated under the supervision VVof unskilled guideway 11 by means ofthree intermittently f rotating rollersl, 14 and 15 which Vare driven byGeneva stop mechanism, as hereinafter described, to draw oli' the'bar step-by- Y sten Towards its lower end the downward# -ly inclined guideway terminates in a channel shaped portion 18 from which the plastic bar 12 passes throughthe nip between the upper roller 13 and the first bottom'roller 14.

It will be observed that a line joiningthe axes of these two rollers lies in a plane normal to the inclinedv path ofthe stock; Upon lleaving the nip' the-,stockis'bent partly around the periphery oi the top-roller 13 and then passes through the nip between this top'rollerA vTlhefkni-fe '17 @which rotates continuously in acasing is mounted upon the end ofa shaft 2 1 supp-orted in a bearing'22 in the casing-10. Atit-sfarend the shaft 2l carries a bevel pinion23 which is :driven vby, acco- ,operating bevel gear 24 on a continuously rotating shaft 25. VThe latter carries at Vone end a large `pinion 26 which mesheszwith a driving gear27- upon the driying shaft 28` which shaft carries at one end a pulley 29.

Upon the end of the vshaft Yremote `from the pinion 26 are carried two diametrically opposed crank webs 30 each of `whichwebs carriesan overhung crank pin 315on which aroller 32 is rotatably mounted. These rollers 32 mesh with radialslots 33 in a disc 34 of Geneva ,stop mechanism which is carriedupon one end of a shaft`35 whose axisv is parallel `with `the above mentionedV shafts 25 intermittently bythe AGreneva stop mechanism.`

Atits end remote from the disc 34 ofthe Geneva stop mechanism the shaft-35- carries a gear I36 Whichmeshes with la pinion 37 upon fa short lay shaft 38. vThis lay shaft also carries a large gear 39 which in turn lmeshes with a pinion 40 carried upon a shaft 4 1. The;

pinion 40 also meshesrwith .pinions V42. and ,43 which are carried on the shafts 44-and 45 Y. upon which the two bottom rollers 14 andl are respectivelymounted. This train of gear gears being indicated bythe arrows.

The top roller 13 is driven by an endless ing by which the two bottom rollers are-driven is shown Vdia rammatically in Figure 4, the direction of rotation of theindividual chain 46 (as follows. ,Mountedupon ythe shafts-41 and A45 are .chained sprockets '47;

and 43 respectively. The Vcl1ain.46 which passes round the outside ofthe sprocket 47 on the-shaft 41, is deflected round thesprocket 48 andthence passes over a large sprocket 49 carried upon a shaft 50 upon which the .top roller ,13 is mounted. Leaving the :top vroller sprocket the chain passes -round ya VJtensioning` sprocket 51 and thence to the .first mentioned sprocket 47. vThis chain drive isY alsozshowndiagrammatically in Figure 14.

Iclaim.; ,e 1 1. In apparatus for feedingfandcnt-ting a f @successive portionsfromtlie length of the bar,

Ka guideway leadingto -fthe'knife, asecond guideway leading obliquely to this guideway, three rollers arranged vat the junction of the guideway's, two of which rollers are arranged to cooperate to bend the bar partly around the `periphery of the thirdroller and tofdirect it lfrom `the oblique into the first-mentioned guideway, and means to rotate said rollers.

2. Apparatus for feedingl and cutting a bar `of plastic material, comprising'a knife,

means to actuatesaid 'knifeto severV succes- Sire portions from the length 0f thegbar, a horizontal guide-way 'leading to the knife, a second guide-way leading obliquely to the horizontalguidev-way, three rollers arranged f at thejunction'offthe two said guide-ways, w80

two of which rollersfare arranged to co-oper- Yate to bendthe bar partly `around thegperiphf I ery of the third roller and, to direct it from the oblique into the .horizontal guide-way,

and means-to rotate saidrollersV 3. Apparatusjfor feedingand cuttinga bar of plastic material, comprising a knife, means to actuate said knife to sever successive yporway, and Varranged :to provide 'thev nip and 28.V rlhis shaft 35Yis therefore rotated through which the bar may be 'fed,' a cthird roller Y arranged to direct Vthe bar` partly around the Vperipher-yof oneof the firstsaid rollers intoV the horizontal guide-way, and

, means -to rotate said rollers.

Apparatus for feedingandcutting a bar fof plastic material, comprising a1knife5 means to actuate said knife to sever lsuccesa horizontalguidesway leading to the knife', a second guide-way leading obliquely to the horizontal vguide-way a roller located in :the angle between the two,guide-wayswithA its axis transversely ofthe direction of bar feed, a second ro'ller cofoperat-ing therewithand so placed in relation-to it that-the -planein which their axes lie isnormal to the'oblique guideway, Ya third roller also co-operating with-the rfirst roller. and so placed withV regard lto it that their aXes'lie in a yplane normal to. the` horizontal guide-way, and means to rotate said rollers. Y

5. Apparatus for feeding and cutting a bar of plastic material, lcomprising a knife,

means to impart Vcontinuous rotation Ato said.

knife to sever successive portions from the -length of the "bar, a horizontal guide-way leading to ltheknife, asecond guide-Wayleadingobliquelyto ether horizontal gui de-way, a roller located in the angle between the two guide-ways with its V.axis transversely of the direction of bar feed, a lsecond roller co-'operating therewith to draw the bar down the Voblique-way andso placed in relation to said roller that their .axes lie in a Iplane normal Vsive portions from Ythe length `of' thebar, y

to the oblique way, a third roller cooperat-v` Y v 'ing with the iirst roller to direct the bar into the horizontal guide-way and so placed with regard to the first roller that their axes lie in a plane normal to the horizontal guide- Way,` and means to impart intermittent rotation to said rollers.

6. Apparatus for feeding and cutting a bar of plastic material, comprisingv a knife,

means to rotate said knife continuously to sever successive portions fromthe length of the bar, a horizontal guide-way leading` to the knife, a second `guide-way arranged to lead the bar obliquely downwards to the f horizontal guide-Way, anupper roller located above the said guide-ways with its axis horizontal and lying in a plane intersecting the langle between them, a first bottom roller which co-operates with the upper roller to draw the bar down the oblique way, the axes of the upper roller and the rst bottom roller lying in a plane normal tothe oblique way,

" a second bottom roller which co-operates lying in a plane normal to the oblique way, av l second bottom roller which .co-operates with the upper roller to pass the bar into the hori- Y with the upper roller to-.pass the bar into the horizontal guide-way, the axis of the upper roller and the second bottom roller lying y in the same vertical planevand means to impart intermittentrotation to said rollers so that the bar is stationary while the severance i of each successive portion is effected. r

7. Apparatus for feeding and cutting ajbar of plastic material, comprising av knife,

sever successively portions from the length of the bar, a horizontal guide-way leadingl Y' to the knife, afsecond guide-way arranged to lead the bar obliquely downwards to the horizontal guide-way, an upper roller located above the said guide-way with its'axis hori-VK zontal and lying in a plane intersecting the angle between them,a iirst bottom roller which co-operates with the upper roller to draw the bar down thevoblique way, the axes.

of the upper roller and the first bottom roller zontal guide-way, the axis of the upper roller and the second bottom roller lying in the same vertical plane, and Geneva stop mechaV f nism and associated gearing operable to impart intermittent rotation to said rollers so that the bar is stationary while the severance of each successive portion is eected.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALFRED GERMAN ROSE. 

